Neighborhood residents, members of Charlotte’s cycling community, and friends and family of the deceased will gather this evening for a vigil and memorial for an East Charlotte man who was struck and killed by a vehicle while riding his bicycle on Parkwood Avenue late Sunday morning.

Several community leaders will speak briefly.

The organizers of the memorial and vigil intend to not only honor the life of Alfred Peaslee Gorman, 73, but also to ask the City of Charlotte to make changes to Parkwood Avenue that will improve safety for all users, including pedestrians and cyclists. The section of Parkwood where this tragedy occurred is widely known to be dangerous for pedestrians and people on bikes, due to its narrow sidewalks, lack of bike lanes, and speeding motorists.

A “ghost bike” has been placed near the accident site at the intersection of Parkwood Ave and Hawthorne Ln. Ghost bikes are bikes that have been painted white to memorialize bicyclists who have been killed or hit while riding. This ghost bike is intended to memorialize Mr. Gorman and remind drivers that a cyclist was killed at this location.